Flexible hoses have been developed for the refrigeration and air conditioning industry which have an inner liner designed to inhibit permeation of refrigerant through the hose wall. Such hoses, such as Aeroquip's FC505 hose, reduce liberation of chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) refrigerants to the atmosphere, thought to be harmful to the earth's ozone layer. The inner liner, for example, may include a thin layer of a polyamide polymer, such as a polyamide from the nylon family.
It is common in the refrigeration industry to utilize a hose fitting or hose coupling which sealingly interconnects a rigid center pipe and a flexible hose, including the insertion of the rigid center pipe into the hose opening. This interconnection often requires relative rotation between the rigid center pipe and flexible hose as the rigid center pipe is forced to the desired dimension within the hose opening. Such relative rotation, however, can damage the inner liner of the aforesaid refrigeration hoses, defeating the purpose of such hoses.
Thus, it is desirable, and it is an object of the present invention, to provide a new and improved hose coupling, and method of constructing same, which will provide a reliable sealed joint between a rigid center pipe and a flexible hose, without causing damage to hoses of the type which include an inner liner.
It would also be desirable, and it is another object of the present invention, to provide a new and improved hose coupling, and method of constructing same, which, in addition to preventing damage to hoses having an inner liner, permit disassembly and re-use of the components used in the hose coupling.